As travelers begin to plan their summer vacations to Europe for both 2025 and 2026, Star Clippers is offering a way to add a little more variety to the choices of ‘things we can do on vacation’ with shorter three- to six-night sailings on their majestic modern clipper ships. And for those who book before April 30, there are both airfare savings and onboard credit promotions for a selection of offerings through 2025.
The Western Mediterranean coastline along Portugal, Spain, France and Italy is a dream vacation destination for many – and one best visited aboard a small sailing ship. Embarkation ports in Rome, Lisbon and Cannes (among others) and dozens of sailing dates make adding a Star Clipper’s cruise to any land vacation seamless and turns a great European vacation into one that is unique and unforgettable. Vacationers who are spending time exploring France may wish to board the 227-guest Royal Clipper in Malaga, Spain (and end in Cannes) for a special Grand Prix Trials sailing in May that spends a day in the opulent Monaco as the Grand Prix Trials are taking place, and takes in Spain’s medieval town of Ibiza, regarded as the Med’s own Key West – two of several ports on the six-night itinerary. Adding a five-night sailing to any vacation in Italy is easy as the 166-guest Star Flyer has several departures of its Rome to Rome itinerary, from which guests can visit the Roman ruins in the medieval coastal town of Gaeta and be among the few tourists strolling the unspoiled fishing village of Ponza Town in the Pontine Islands. A land vacation in Portugal and Spain can serve as the perfect bookends to a Lisbon to Malaga sailing on the Royal Clipper as the largest and only five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship will transport the guest between the two countries – on a five-night itinerary that includes stops in Portimao, the largest city in Portugal’s western Algarve, and the beautiful Mediterranean playground of white-washed buildings of Spain’s Puerto Banus.
Sailing onboard an authentic, modern clipper ship is a thrilling (and romantic) experience – feeling the wind catch in the sails as you depart one beautiful port for the next is simply unforgettable. Star Clippers has three of the world’s largest and tallest sailing vessels: Star Clipper and Star Flyer are traditional clipper ships with modern amenities carrying 166 guests, while the 227-guest Royal Clipper holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest and only five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship in service today. All three ships have expansive teak decks, swimming pools, informal dining, convivial tropical bars on deck and piano lounges.
A Star Clippers sailing includes most everything under one fee – the chosen cabin, port charges, all meals, entertainment, the assistance of a knowledgeable cruise director, and transportation to and from the ports via tender boats – making it easy to stick to a budget. It also affords the luxury of unpacking your suitcase just once, no lugging it across cobblestone streets or worrying about misplacing it, while waking up in a different destination each day.
